Scottish Executive

Marine Environment

Mike Pringle (Edinburgh South) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will enter into discussions with Her Majesty’s Government and representatives of the fishing industry about the designation of the Darwin Mounds as a special area of conservation under the EU birds and habitats directives.

Allan Wilson: The Scottish Executive is in discussion with the Department for Environment Food and Rural Affairs about the potential designation of the Darwin Mounds as a Special Area of Conservation under the EC Habitats Directive. It has also had discussions with representatives of the fishing industry on this issue and would be glad to receive a request for further discussions.

  Scottish ministers and the UK Government as a whole are committed to ensuring the conservation obligations contained in the Habitats Directive are met, and to protecting those internationally important species and habitats that occur within UK jurisdiction.

Scottish Executive Staff

Tommy Sheridan (Glasgow) (SSP): To ask the Scottish Executive how many jobs it funds directly and indirectly; of these, how many jobs were in non-departmental public bodies, specifying which bodies, and how many, and which, jobs attracted an annual salary of (a) £50,000-100,000, (b) £100,001-150,000, (c) £150,001-200,000 and (d) over £200,000.

Tavish Scott: At 1 July 2003, the Scottish Executive, its agencies and associated departments employed 15,632 full-time equivalent permanent staff. Information on numbers of jobs and salary structures for non-departmental public bodies (NDPB) is primarily a matter for individual NDPBs and relevant information can be found in each organisation’s annual report and accounts. In addition, the Scottish Executive’s public bodies website at www.scotland.gov.uk/government/publicbodies provides details of staffing levels and Chief Executive remuneration for each NDPB. Detailed information on salaries over £50,000 is not held centrally.